Imagining America (IA): Artists and Scholars in Public Life invites IA members to submit proposals to form new regional Collaboratories starting this year. The 2026 invitation for IA Collaboratories welcomes proposals from IA member campuses to form communities around practices of imagination. This year we are prioritizing proposals from regional clusters of campuses and partners with an intentional effort to support and activate regional engagement in the IA network.
As we approach the transition of Imagining America to a new host campus in 2027, we are interested in supporting IA member campuses to examine how the work of imagining and practices of imagination are critical to organizing personal, institutional, and societal transformation. Through regional activities that allow for creative exploration, convenings that provide space for co-creation, and ways of being together that center curiosity and care, Imagining America asks IA member campuses to demonstrate how we can imagine and make the worlds we want. IA will award up to six initiatives for 2026.
Visit the IA Collaboratories webpage for additional eligibility guidelines, timelines, and proposal submission requirements.
Each IA Collaboratory will receive:
- $1000 to support activities (paid as a stipend to the lead convenor)
- Tools and resources from IA to use in Collaboratories convenings
- One confirmed presentation slot and one complimentary registration to the 2026 IA National Gathering in Davis, CA (October 23-25)
- Organizing, promotion, and operations support from IA staff throughout the year
- Opportunities to share work through IA programming and network communications
Proposals are due on Monday March 13, 2026.
We look forward to seeing the brilliant, creative, and collaborative proposals shared from the IA network!
